Can opening and spout forming device



Oct. 8, 1935. w. F. PUNTE Er AL 2,0175015 CAN OPENING AND SPOUT FRIVIINGv DEVICE Filed Feb. le, 1934 2 sheets-sneu 1 Oct- 8, 1935 w. F. PUNTE Er AL CAN OPENING AND SPOUT FORMING' DEVICE Filed Fb. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet? Patented Oct. 8, 19x35 PATENT OFFICE 2,017,015 lCAN OPENING AND sPoU'r FoRMING DEVICE William F. Punte and Oliver S. Pease, Syracuse,

N. Y., assignors to Continental Inc., New York, York Can Company,

N. Y., a corporation ot New Application February 16, 1934, Serial No. 711,591

8 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a device for opening a can and forming a pouring spout from the material of the can.

6 An object of the invention is to provide a device for severing a can end adjacent the double seam to provide a pouring opening and a blank from which a pouring spout may be made.

A further object of the invention is to provide 10 a device of the above character which is provided with means for shaping the blank into a spout and for positioning said spout so that it overhangs the double seam.

A still further object of the invention is to l 'provide a device of the above character having means for crushing the side wall of the can during the forming of the spout so as to render the can body unfit for re-useas a sealed can.

These and other objects will in part be obvious En and will in part be'hereinafter more fullydisclosed. f

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a side view of a device embodying :5 the improvements shown applied to the can body preparatory to the cutting of the end for forming a pouring opening and the spout blank;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

o Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the cutter as having been forced through the can end and the blankcut preparatory to' the lifting of the same, and in broken lines the blank lifted to substantially a .i vertical position;

Fig. 3a is a sectional view on the line 3a, 3a of Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the blank cutting and l lifting device moved away from operative posio tion, and the spout forming devices positioned for the bending and shaping of the blank into a spout;

Fig. 5 is a plan' view'of a portion of the can end with the blank cut and raised to vertical position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the spout forming devices as having been brought into contact with the blank and the blank and body wall bent to form a spout;

r Fig. '7 is a plan view of the shaping of the parts by the devices as positioned in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view showing the completion of the positioning of the spout and the crushing of the side wall of the can, and with the spout forming devices moved to inoperative position, and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the can showing the completed opening and the completed spout.

The invention has to do with a device which may be applied to a can for cutting a blank from the can end and simultaneously forming a pour- 5 ing opening therethrough. The device also includes means for lifting the blank and shaping it into a spout, and placing the spout so that it projects out over the double seam. It is thought that the construction and operation of the device embodying the invention will be better understood by a brief description of the can and the operation of the device thereon.

In the drawings there is shown a can which includes a can body l having ends 2 and 3 secured thereto by double seaming. This is the ordinary sanitary can which is used for hermetically packaging products. When the can is used ,for the packaging of liquid products, such as lubricating oil, some means is necessary for open' ing the can so that the contents thereof may be dispensed from the can in an eicient manner. The device forming the subject-matter of the present invention is provided with a cutter which cuts the can end along a. line extending from the point a to the point b, as shown in Figures 5, '7, and 9 of the drawings. The metal cut from the can end serves as a blank for forming a pouring spout. This blank is shown as turned to a vertical position in Fig. 5 and is indicated at 4. 30 This cutting of the blank and lifting the same forms a pouring opening indicated at c in the drawings. The blank is integral with the can end along the double seam, but is free and curved from one side to the other. The blank is then bent outwardly and curved so as to provide a trough-shaped pouring spout. The metal during this preliminary forming of the spout is bent outward well over the double seam, and the double seam between the points a and b is curved out- 40 Ward1y as indicated at 5. The extreme outer end of the spout indicated at 6 hangs well over the double seam. 'I'he spout is then bent downwardly to a. position nearer horizontal, as. indicated in Figures 8 and 9. The body wall of the 45 can beneath the spout is bent inwardly as indicated at 1, so that the wall is crushed. This prevents an unscrupulous party from cutting o the open can just below the double seam, reflanging the can, filling the can with an inferior Agrade of oil, and then sealing the can by attaching a new end thereto, and thus marketing the inferior` oil under the trade name on the can. The can with the formed spout forms no part of the present invention, but is shown described a to the points b. The blade is provided with and'ciaimed in the application led by Oscar C. Human, December 6, 1933,-Serial No.'701,225.

The device for opening the end and forming a spout will now be described in detail. -Said device includes a cutting means for severing the can end and a lifting means associated therewith for lifting the cut outblank to a vertical position. It also includes a spout forming device which contacts with the lifted blank and shapessaid blank into a 'trough-shaped spout, simultaneously shaping also the upper portion of the can so as to aline it-with the spout, and bending the portion of the wall beneath the double seam of the ca n body inwardly, crushing the same -so that it is uniit 'for re-use as a sealed can. The cutting and lifting device and also the spout forming device are carried by a base 8 which is provided with depending pins 9, 9. There are four .of these pins, and they are arranged so that when the base is laid on top of a can contacting with the double seam, the four pins will extend down along the side wall of the can and retain said supporting base properly centered on the can. The supporting base ex" tends to one side of the can as indicated at 8a, and forms a hand rest on which the operator may bear during the cutting of the can end. Extending along the sides of the base are integral ledges I0, I0. Located between these ledges is a cutter supporting plate II which is pivotaliy connected to the supporting ledges and the base by a pin I2. The cutter which is rigidly attached to this supporting plate consists of a blade I3 which is segmental in cross section so thatl it cuts the can end along a curved line extending from the point laterally projecting lugs I4, I4, and screws I5, I5 passing through the lugs secure the blade rigidly to the under face of the base I. The

- depending wall of the blade is curved in the arc of a circle, and the rear portion thereof inclines away from the can wall to a slight extent. The extreme lower edge of the cutter is inclined to 'the vertical, as indicated at I3a, and this inclined lower edge intersects the front edges I3b of the cutter blade so as to form cutting points I3c. The lower edge I3a of the cutter is beveled so asA to form a cutting edge at the inner face of the blade. The side edges I3b of the cutter are likewise beveled so as to form cutting edges at the inner side of the blade, and these cutting edges terminate in the points I3c.

Af-ter the base has been applied to the can, the cutter supporting plate is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, which brings the cutting point I3c into contact with the end of -the can close to the double seam. The cutter is then forced down into the can, and this will cut the\ can end onja curved line extending from a to b. The forcing of the cutter down through the can end changes the angle of the cutter from the position shown in' Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he cutting of the metal will roll the edge of the retained portion of the end, .as indicated at I6 in Fig. 3. This forces the metalaway from the cut out blank 4 and permits said blank to be retained in a horizontal position. Attached to the cutter supporting plate II is a blank lifter. This blank lifter is in the form of a lever which is pivoted at I1 to the cutter sup.- porting plate. The lever extends to the left of the pivot as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, in the form of a handle I8. It extends also to the right of the pivot, and is curved downwardly to form a lifter finger I9. At the base of the lifter finger there is a shoulder 20 which underlies the cutter supporting plate I I when said handle is moved to a position substantially in alinement with said cutter supporting plate. therefore, press downward on the portion 8a of the supporting base, and at the same time force downwardly on the handle I8, and will thus swing the cutter supporting plate on its pivot relative to the base and force the cutter down 10 through the can end. The finger I9 contacting with the portionof the end at one side of the line of the severing of the metal and at one side of the blank 4, will force said metal downward so that the finger upon the raising of the vhandle l5 I8 can befinserted beneath the blank 4. The parts are held in the position as shown in Fig. 3, and the handle I8 is swung to the broken line posi-tion. There is a slot 2I in the cutter blade I3 through which the finger I9 passes to a po- 20 sition beneath this blan 4, and when the handle is swung to the broken line position, then the blank 4 will be raised to the dotted line position @indicated at 4a (Fig. 3). This completes the forming of the opening and the lifting of the 25 blank through the aid of the cutter blade and the lifter finger. The cutter supporting plate II is now raised, withdrawing the cutter and the lifter finger, and said cutter vsupporting plate is moved'to the broken line position indicated in 30 part in Fig. 3.

The spout forming device is now brought into operation. This spout forming device includes a supporting bracket 22. Said bracket is pivotally attached to the lower end of two support- 35 v ing links 23, 23, one at each side of the base 3.

Said links are pivoted to the ledges I0, I0 which are carried by the supporting base. The pivotal connection of one of the links is indicated at 24. The supporting bracket 22 is mounted 40 on a pivot rod 25 which passes through these links. v'llhe supporting bracket is provided with a handle 26 which extends atan angle to the bracket. Pivotally attached to the bracket is a spout forming device which is in the form of 45 a lever pivoted at 21' to the bracket. Said lever projects to the left of the bracket providing a handle 28. It projects to the right of the bracket so as' to provide a spout forming device. Said spout forming device is shaped so 50 as to provide a contacting linger 29 and a contacting finger 30. Between said fingers 29 and 30, said .spout forming device is curved as indicated at 3|. 'I'he bracket is raised to the position shown in Fig. 4, while the handle 28 is 56 depressed, and this enables the spout forming device to be carried over the blank 4 to the inner side thereof as indicated in Fig. 4. At this time,

a projecting rib 32 on the bracket 22 lies close to the vertical wan of the can body. The brackso' et is held in this position, and the handle 23 is raised so as to bring the spout forming finger 29 into contact with the blank 4. Asthis lever is forced upwardly, while the rib 32 is held close to the wall of the can body', the blank will be 6I curved so as to give it a troughshape, as indicated in Fig. '7. This will also curve the double seam at the base of the spout and the wall of the can body adjacent the double seam, thus producing a trough-shaped spout /extending down into the wall of the can body, across the double seam and well out from the double seam. This trough-shaped spout being formed from the blank 4 cut from the end extends substantially from one edge of the pouring opening to The operator may, 5

the other edge thereof. The bracket and the spout forming lever are now forced toward the full line position shown in Fig. 8, from the full line position shown in Fig. 6, and this will crush in the body wall as indicated at 'l in Fig. 8. It will also bend the double seam and the adjacent portion of the body wall further out away from the body wall, and place the spout more nearly in a horizontal position. This completes the forming of the spout and the shaping of the body wall adjacent where the spout is attached thereto. The device is then removed from the can, and when the can is tipped to discharge the contents thereof through the opening formed by cutting the blank, the spout will receive and discharge the contents well out from the can body.

. It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the 'arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

HavingI thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is-

1. A can opening and spout forming device comprising a cutting means for cutting the can end to form a dispensing opening and to form within the cut portion a blank to be shaped into a pouring spout, means for lifting the blank cut from the can end, and means for shaping said blank into a pouring spout andl for placing said formed spout so that it overhangs the double seam.

2. A can opening and spout forming device comprising a cutting means for cutting the can end to form a dispensing opening and to form a blank to be shaped into a pouring spout, a device associated with said cutting means for lifting the blank to a substantially vertical position, and means independent of the lifting device and the cutting means for engaging said blank and shaping the same into a pouring spout and for placing said pouring spout so that it overhangs the double'seam.

3. A can opening .and spout forming device comprising a cutting means for cutting the can end to form a dispensing opening and to form a blank to be shaped into a pouring spout, a device associated with said cutting means for lifting the blank to a substantially vertical position, and means independent of the lifting device and the cutting means for engaging said blank and shaping the same into a pouring spout and. for placing said pouring spout so that it overhangs the double seam, said spout forming means operating to bend the double seam and the b'ody wall beneath the same outward in the region of the spout so as to continue said spout into the can wall and beneath the severed can end.

.4. A can opening and spout forming device comprisingV a cutting means for cutting the can end to -form a dispensing opening and to form a blank to be shaped into a pouring spout, a device associated with said cutting means for lifting the blank to a substantially vertical position, and means independent ofthe lifting device and the cutting means for engaging said blank andshaping the same into a pouring spout and for placing said pouring spout so that it overhangsthe double seam, said. spout forming means operating to curve the doubleseam and the canwall beneath the same outward so as to conform to the shaping of the spout and for bending the wall of the can body beneath the double seam so as to produce a distorted vertical wall to prevent re-flanging and reclosure of the can after it has been opened. 5

5. A can opening and spout forming device comprising a base adapted to rest on the end of the can, means for centering said base on the can, a swinging plate attached to said base, a cutter rigidly attached to said swinging plate 10 and adapted to sever the can end on a line curving inwardly from the double seam and terminating at the double seam so as to provide a blank from which a pouring spout may be shaped, and means carried by said base for 15 shaping said blank into a spout and for placing said spout so as to overhang the double seam.

6. A can opening and spout forming device comprising a base adapted to rest on the end of the can, means for centering said base on 20 the can, a swinging plate attached to said base,

a cutter rigidly attached to said swinging plate and adapted to sever the can endon a line curving inwardly from the double seam and terminating at the double seam so as to provide a 25 blank from which a pouring spout may be shaped. and a lifting lever attached to said swinging plate and serving as a handle whereby said cutter may be forced through the can end, and 'whereby the blank cut from the can end may 30 be lifted to free the pouring opening.

7. A can opening and spout forming device comprising a base adapted to rest on the end of the can, means for centering said base on the can, a swinging plate attached to said base, 35 a cutter rigidly attached to said swinging plate and adapted to sever the can end on a line curvy ing inwardly from the double seam and ,terminating at the'double seam so as to provide a blank lfrom which a pouring spout may be shaped, 40 a lifting lever attached to said swinging plate and serving as a handle whereby said cutter may be forced through the can end, and whereby the blank eut from the can end may be lifted to free the pouring opening, and means carried 45 by the supporting base for engaging said blank and shaping the same into a pouring spout and placing said pouring spout so that it overhangs the double seam.

8. A can opening and spout forming device 50 comprising a base adapted to rest on the end of the can, means for centering said base on the can, a swinging plate attached to said base,

a cutter rigidly attached to said swinging platey and adapted to sever the can end on a line curv- 55 ing inwardly from the double seam and terminating at the double seam so as to provide a blank from which a pouring spout may be shaped, links pivotallyattached to the base at points outside ofthedouble seam, a bracket'pivotally 60 supported by said links, said bracket having a projecting portion adapted to contact with the outside wall of the can, and a spout forming device pivotally mounted on said bracket and adapted to engage said blank for bending the 65 blank, the double seam and the wall of the can body immediately beneath the double seam outwardly for shaping said parts into a pouring spout, 'for receiving and directing the contents of the container dispensed through said pouring 70 opening.

- -WILLIAM F. PUNTE.

OLIVER S. PEASE. 

